Rainer Thiele

Prof. Rainer Thiele serves as director of the Kiel Institute Africa Initiative and holds an Adjunct Professor position at Kiel University, focusing on critical issues in global development policy and African economic advancement.

His academic foundation includes a master's degree and doctorate in Economics, both earned at Kiel University.

Thiele's research specializes in African Economic Development, with concentrated analysis of large-scale land acquisitions' impacts on Sub-Saharan African rural communities. Concurrently, his work on Aid Allocation and Effectiveness examines foreign aid distribution mechanisms and real-world outcomes, contributing evidence-based insights for international development frameworks. His findings appear in premier journals including the Economic Journal and Journal of Development Economics.

As lead organizer of the Kiel-CEPR African Economic Development Conference series, Thiele facilitates high-level discourse among policymakers and researchers addressing Africa's debt crisis, trade integration, and business opportunities. His initiatives receive strategic funding from Germany's Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Federal Ministry of Finance under the 'Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Cluster Afrikaforschung' project.